Feed water arrangements for marine boilers



A. HUET 3,070,077

ARRANGEMENTS FOR MARINE BOILERS Dec. 25, 1962 FEED WATER Filed March 15,1959 STEAM FIG HIT! e STEAM STEAM-WATER SEPARATOR INVENTOR ANDRE HUETATTORNEYS his 3,070,077 FEE!) WATER ARRANGEMENTS FOR MARTNE BOILERS AndrHuet, 48 Ave. du President Wilson, Paris XVI, France Filed Mar. 13,1959, Ser. No. 799,224 Claims priority, application France Mar. 9, 19594 Claims. (Cl. 122-451) This invention relates to feed waterarrangements for marine boilers.

In my prior application Serial No. 749,5(35, now Patent No. 2,993,480,dated July 25, 1961, l have described marine boilers which essentiallycomprise an assembly of evaporator tubes, in each of which theseparation of water and steam is effected by gyratory motion on ahelical ramp. Each of these water and steam separators is supplied withwater at its bottom end and comprises at its upper end a separate waterand steam separator. The mixture of water and steam which is still foundat the upper end of the tube is directed into a separator header or drumwhich is common to the tube assembly forming the boiler, and asupplementary separation takes place in said separator.

The present invention is concerned with methods of regulating the supplyof water to boilers of this type, and is characterized by the fact thata quantity of water which forms a reserve supply is provided in anindependent drum, this drum being in communication with the steam zoneand the water zone of the common separator and comprising a water-levelgauge. The readings of this water-level gauge control a pump whichsupplies water to the tubes of the boiler from the water of thecondenser, and a second pump provided in the water circuit connects theindependent drum to the base of the boiler tubes. This latter pump canbe bypassed to ensure Water supply by natural circulation.

Finally, a level gauge situated adjacent the common water and steamseparator also makes it possible for the two feed pumps to be controlledaccording to the readings of this gauge. in this way, means are providedwith which it is possible to regulate the water supply according to thereserve water volume contained in the drum, according to the water levelin the separator, and finally by natural circulation.

Other features of the invention will be referred to in the followingdescription, in conjunction with the accompanying drawing which is givenby way of example and in which:

P16. 1 is a diagrammatic view showing the regulating means forming thesubject of the invention; and

FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic View showing the drum containing the waterforming the reserve supply with a modified tube arrangement differingfrom that of FIG. 1 by an angle of 90.

Referring now to the drawing, a marine boiler is formed by evaporatortubes at disposed in groups, as shown in FIG. 1, and supplied with waterat their lower ends through a header b, while the steam produced andcollected in a header c discharges through conduit d. Each of thesetubes corn rises a helical internal ramp a on which the steam producedis released axially from the water and steam mixture which is given agyratory movement. At the upper end of each tube a where the steam isdischarged, the water and steam mixture which still exists is fedthrough pipe 2 into a common separator f which can, if necessary,contain a helical ramp or surface g, the resulting centrifugal forcedischarging the steam through pipe line h while the water accumulates atthe lower end at i.

7 According to the invention, a drum or tank j is provided independentlyof the boiler proper and contains a States atet 3,070,077 Patented Dec.25, 1962 quantity of reserve water k. The steam side of the independenttank 7' is connected to the pipe line h of the separator g by tubes k kk which are arranged fanwise and which open, as illustrated, at spacedpoints on the periphery of the tank j. The water level inside the tank ican assume various degrees of inclination, as indicated by broken lines,while the communication of the steam zone of the tank with the steamzone of the separator f is nevertheless assured.

A similar arrangement is adopted at as shown in FIG. 2, and pipelines kk arranged fanwise connect the pipe 72 to the ends of the drum j, sothat in spite of the inclination of the level of the water inside thedrum, constant communication is assured between the steam zone of thedrum and the separator Provided on the drum j is a water-level gauge lconnected on one side at m to the stream pipe 11 and on the other sideby the pipe n to a point 0 disposed at the center of the mass of water kcontained in the tank 1', so that in spite of variations in inclination,a mean indication of the level inside the drum is obtained. In a stateof rest, i.e. when the marine boiler is not undergoing any movement dueto the rolling or pitching of the ship, the water level gauge lindicates a level of water which is in general an extension of the levelof the water contained in the tank However, when rolling and pitching ofthe ship causes rapid displacement of the water level in the tank j, itis apparent that the level of the water in the water level gauge 1 doesnot immediately follow the changes of the water level in the tank j.Further, it is necessary that the orifice o of the pipe it always beimmersed in the body of water in the tank j despite the movements of theship and of the tank j. When the orifice 0 is in a position such as thatshown in FIG. 1, it will always be in a zone in which it will be incommunication with the water in the tank i, whatever may be thedisplacements of the water level in the tank, e.g. to positions such asindicated by the broken lines in the drawing. The base of the separatorf is connected to the water zone of the tank j by a pipe p which may beprovided with a valve permitting circulation only in the direction ofthe arrow. Similarly, the water zone of the tank is connected by a pipeq to the header b for supplying water to tubes a of the boiler.

A feed pump r is provided in the pipe q and a feed pump s is provided inthe pipe t supplying the water from the condenser 11 to the header bwhich feeds water to the tubes.

A device v, which is shown diagrammatically, enables the pumps r and sto be controlled from the readings of the water gauge l. The pump 1' isbypassed by a pipe w, in which is provided a check valve x permittingcirculation to be established in the bypass only in the direction of thearrow F. Thus, in the event of breakdown of the pump r, natural watercirculation is established through the circuit w.

A second regulating means can be provided by means of a gauge y on thewater and steam separator f. The gauge y is connected by the pipes z and2. to the steam and water zones of the separator f. A device 3 enablesthe two pumps r and s to be controlled according to the changes in waterlevel at y, in addition to their control by the readings of the gauge 1.The devices 3 and v are all known construction and operate in knownmanner corresponding to the regulator element 24A disclosed in La MontUS. Patent 2,201,618, except that electrical contacts are employed inindicating the liguid level. These devices comprise solenoids, theresistance of which is varied in response to the height of the waterlevel in the water gauges l and y. Since a lowering of the water levelsin the gauges will indicate a need for more water in the boiler, thepump will of course be actuated upon falling of the water level.

By such an arrangement, it is possible:

(i) To make the readings of the gauge l controlling the feed pumpsindependent of the variations in the water level in the tank j resultingfrom rolling and pitching.

(2) To have a regulating means such that the suppiy of water to theboiler tubes is controlled on the one hand from the level of reservewater in the independent drum or tank j and on the other hand from thewater level in the common separator ft (3) Finally, to permit a naturalwater circulation through the bypass w to be established in the boilerin the event of failure of the pumps.

What I claim is:

1. In a marine boiler defined by an assembly of evaporator tubes inwhich a separation of water and steam is effected, said tubes beingsupplied at their lower ends with water from a condenser under theaction of a first pump, and the mixture or" water and steam present atthe upper end of the tubes being directed into a separator common to thetube assembly, wherein a supplementary separation of water and steam iscarried out, the combination of regulating means for the supply of feedwater to said evaporator tubes of said boiler, said regulating meanscomprising a tank independent of the boiler and adapted to contain abody of water forming a reserve water supply, means connecting said tankto the steam and water zones of the common separator, means including asecond pump connecting the water zone of the tank to the lower ends ofsaid evaporator tubes of the boiler, a first water level gauge providedon said tank, first means responsive to the water level in said firstgauge to control the second pump supplying water from the independenttank to the evaporator tubes, and second means responsive to the Waterlevel in said first gauge to control the first pump supplying water fromthe condenser to the evaporator tubes, said first means and said secondmeans being etfective to actuate the second pump and the first pumprespectively upon lowering of said water level in said first gauge, asecond water gauge provided on said common separator, third meansresponsive to the water level in said second gauge to control the secondpump supplying water from the independent tank to the evaporator tubes,and fourth means responsive to the'water level in said second gauge tocontrol the first pump supplying water from the condenser to theevaporator tubes, said third means and said fourth means being efiectiveto actuate the second pump and the first pump respectively upon loweringof said water level in second gauge.

2. In a marine boiler defined by an assembly of evaporator tubes inwhich a separation of water and steam is effected, said tubes beingsupplied at their lower ends with water from a condenser under theaction of a first pump, and the mixture of water and steam present atthe upper end of the tubes being directed into a separator common to thetube assembly, wherein a supplementary separation of water and steam iscarried out, the combination of regulating means for the supply of feedwater to said evaporator tubes of said boiler, said regulating meanscomprising a tank independent of the boiler and adapted to contain abody of water forming a reserve water supply, means connecting said tankto the steam and water zones of the common separator, said last-namedmeans comprising a plurality of tubes disposed in fan-wise relationshipand communicating at spaced-apart points along the periphery of saidtank with the interior of said tank, means including a second pumpconnecting the water zone of the tank to the lower ends of saidevaporator tubes of the boiler, a water level gauge provided on saidtank, first means responsive to the water level in said first gauge tocontrol the second pump supplying water from the independent tank to theevaporator tubes, and second means responsive to the water level in saidfirst gauge to control the first pump supplying water from the condenserto the evaporator tubes, said first means and said second means beingefiective to actuate the second pump and the first pump respectivelyupon lowering of said water level in said gauge.

3. In a marine boiler defined by an assembly of evaporator tubes inwhich a separation of water and steam is effected, said tubes beingsupplied at their lower ends with water from a condenser under theaction of a first pump, and the mixture of water and steam present atthe upper end of the tubes being directed into a separator common to thetube assembly, wherein a supplementary separation of water and steam iscarried out, the combination of regulating means for the supply of feedwater to said evaporator tubes of said boiler, said regulating meanscomprising a tank independent of the boiler and adapted to contain abody of Water forming a reserve water supply, means connecting said tankto the steam and water zones of the common separator, said last-namedmeans comprising a plurality of tubes disposed in fan-wise relationshipand communicating at spaced-apart points along the periphery of saidtank with the interior of said tank, means including a second pumpconnecting the water zone of the tank to the lower ends of saidevaporator tubes of the boiler, a first Water level gauge provided onsaid tank, first means responsive to the water level in said first gaugeto control the second pump supplying water from the independent tank tothe evaporator tubes, and second means responsive to the water level insaid first gauge to control the first pump supplying water from thecondenser to the evaporator tubes, said first means and said secondmeans being effective to actuate the second pump and the first pumprespectively upon lowering of said water level in said first gauge, asecond water gauge provided on said common separator, third meansresponsive to the water level in said second gauge to control the secondpump supplying water from the independent tank to the evaporator tubes,and fourth means responsive to the water level in said second gauge tocontrol the first pump supplying water from the condenser to theevaporator tubes, said third means and said fourth means being effectiveto actuate the second pump and the first pump respectively upon loweringof said water level in said second gauge.

4. In a marine boiler defined by an assembly of evaporator tubes inwhich a separation of water and steam is effected, said tubes beingsupplied at their lower end with water from a condenser under the actionof a first pump, and the mixture of water and steam present at the upperend of the tubes being directed into a separator common to the tubeassembly, wherein a supplementary separation of water and steam iscarried out, the combination of regulating means for the supply of feedwater to said evaporator tubes of said boiler, said regulating meanscomprising a tank independent of the boiler and adapted to contain abody of water forming a reserve Water supply, means connecting said tankto the steam and water zones of the common separator, said last-namedmeans comprising a plurality of tubes disposed in fan-wise relationshipand communicating at spaced-apart points along the periphery of saidtank with the interior of said tank, means including a second pumpconnecting the water zone of the tank to the lower ends of saidevaporator tubes of the boiler, a first water level gauge provided onsaid tank, first means responsive to the water level in said first gaugeto control the second pump supplying water from the independent tank tothe evaporator tubes, and second means responsive to the water level insaid first gauge to control the first pump supplying water from thecondenser to the evaporator tubes, said first means and said secondmeans being efiective to actuate the second pump and the first pumprespectively upon lowering of said water level in said first gauge, asecond water gauge provided on said common separator, third meansresponsive to the water level in said second gauge to control the secondpump supplying water from the independent tank to the evaporator tubes,and fourth means responsive to the water level in said second gauge tocontrol the first pump supplying water from the condenser to theevaporator tubes, said third means and said fourth means being effectiveto actuate the second pump and the first pump respectively upon loweringof said water level in said second gauge, a by-pass to short-circuit thesecond pump supplying water from the independent tank to the evaporatortubes, and a check valve on the by-pass for natural circulation of thewater from said tank to said evaporator tubes.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTSFOREIGN PATENTS Germany June 7, 1929 UNITEDv STATE 5 PATENT OFFICECERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3,070,077

Dee mber 25, 1962 Andra Huet EAL test:

JEST w. SWIDER I DAVID LADD esting Officer Commissioner of Patents

